Same Boat
by Black.Kuma
Summary: Rough. Tired. Stranded. You're on a boat in the middle the ocean with only the clothes on your back. Only you can protect yourself. Only you can help yourself. Only you can keep yourself alive. Turn around. You're not as alone as you think Luka/Gakupo.
1. Hello Freak

Same Boat

Disclaimer: I do not own Vocaloid.

Chapter 1: Hello Freak.

When you wake in the morning, you don't expect much but the sun blaring in your eyes and probably a parent hollering so loud the kids next door wake up for you to get your lazy butt out of bed. Well not today. Not ever for a matter of fact. Luka groaned and mumbled as her alarm clock blared into right ear, flashing the time as if the world was going to implode. She cracked an aquamarine eye open to her offender and quickly slammed a pale fist on its bells. The clock immediately stopped and became dormant. Luka glanced at the time for a moment before deciding that it wasn't wrong or Daylight Savings and rolled out of her bed on to the floor. Catching herself from years of practice, the young woman rose from the ground without a scratch and wobbled over to the bathroom, stripping herself of her camisole as she trekked and stepped into the shower.

The hot droplets felt like heaven on her back as she began to wake up. Her long pink hair clung to her flawless skin, resting down by her the middle of her back. Once clean and rejuvenated, Luka turned off the water and brushed her teeth, staring at her reflection in the mirror. _I wonder if Meiko finished her part of the assignment… Who am I kidding? That's like asking if she is sober on a Saturday night… _The high school student laughed at her small joke and wrapped a towel around her body before leaving the bathroom. Living alone had its perks. No waiting in line to do your morning routine and nobody banging on the door to make you hurry up. And there's always a good supply of hot water.

She entered her closet and pulled out her school uniform. The navy blue blazer and white-blue plaid skirt made her sigh as it reminded her of what was yet to come. _Another day of school, another day of hell._ Luka slipped into the garments then stood in front of the mirror to fix her long pink hair. She would never dream of cutting her hair but the prospect and the fighting she went through some mornings made the idea more tempting. The girl brushed her tresses and began working the pink locks into a makeshift bun held by clips and a band. Not bad. Now for the finishing touch. She reached on to her dresser and grabbed a pair of black thick glasses, pushing them up on the bridge of her nose, the outfit was complete.

Luka looked around her small but nice room. A koatsu sat in the center with a TV resting by the wall. Her bed was close to the wall, under the window and a kitchen with a few cupboards, a stove top, and mini fridge stocked with tuna could be seen from an entryway. Her closet wasn't the best but it suited her needs with an appropriate sized bathroom for a girl. Her laptop sat on her cream colored comforter in its travel bag for safety. A white cat hat with a cute smiling face hung nonchalantly on her bed post. It was a tidy and organized dorm room and much better than her neighbors as the ones below and above sometimes were either reproducing like rabbits and mice in spring or partying until someone fell off their balcony and into the small pool below if they were lucky.

Grabbing her book bag, Luka locked the door to her room upon exiting and was greeted by a brunette lass.

"Morning Luka." Yawned out Meiko as she rubbed her eyes.

"Binge drinking or beer pong?" The pink haired girl asked and started walking down the hall with her friend following not too far behind.

"Both. And I sorta need a favor…" Meiko answered and ran a sheepish hand through her scalp.

Luka merely sighed and pulled out a sheet of paper with a couple of lines on it. It was their assignment for history and the part Meiko was supposed to have finished over the weekend. Her partner grabbed the project from her hands and quickly skimmed over it memorizing every bit of information that seemed relevantly important.

"Luka, you're a miracle worker!" She exclaimed and kissed the sheet before slinging an appreciative arm over her resourceful and reliable friend.

"Don't mention it. You forget my butt rides on this grade as well and someone has to pull your end up." Luka retorted and pressed the button on the elevator which they had entered while talking and walking.

Meiko laughed at her reply and tightened her grip on her best friend. Known each other since freshman year, the two girls had an odd relationship. Meiko was irresponsible and always under some influence during breaks and being the lively one of the bunch while Luka laid back and kept her nose out of big scenes and attention. She balanced out the brunette's crazy lifestyle while the girl in turn made sure Luka was entertained.

Exiting their co-ed dormitory and hitting the sidewalk, the pair chatted a bit along the way. It was still a bit early in the school year as cherry blossom petals continued to line the streets as they passed by. Students came pouring into the school yard of Hamatoriwa Academy, riding bicycles and gossiping before the first bell. Meiko pulled Luka away from an out of control cyclist and glared at who she recognized the idiot was.

"KAITO! For the love of Buddha, watch where you are driving that thing!" She hollered while Luka connected her palm to her forehead, embarrassed for their blue haired companion.

The young man in question had landed miraculously and safely in some bushes while his bike crashed into a tree. It was slightly dented in the front but still functional. Kaito lifted himself up and brushed off his navy blue blazer and slacks, readjusting his tie a bit before grabbing his bag off a tree limb.

"Morning girls! Wow, that was close… Sorry about that Luka." He apologized and parked his bike next to a shiny black motorcycle on the rack, locking it with some chains.

"Just be careful next time, alright?" Luka sighed and turned to head toward the ivory building that would confine them for a good 9 hours.

The trio made their way to the locker compounds in the front of the doors and put away their things. Meiko grunted and Kaito grimaced for a second, giving a sign to Luka at who was approaching. The crowd departed a bit as an overly feminine figure walked down the hallway, flipping her long blond and highlighted pink hair behind her. Around the idol was a boy and a girl, looking almost identical to each other if weren't for their genders and clothes. The blond duo with matching sky blue eyes had wide smiles on their faces as they watched the student body make way for their leader. Behind them was a sea green haired maiden who grinned genuinely compared their leader.

Luka turned paler than ever before. _Don't notice me. Don't notice me. Don't notice me._

"Luka-chan! Good morning, I see you're here on time!" Sweet Ann called out and rushed over to her "pal", interlocking their arms and almost causing the pink haired girl to drop her books.

"Sweet Ann, nice to see you here as well…" Luka answered with little to none emotion. _Come on… that light has been swaying back and forth since our freshmen year. Fall and hit me already._ Luka hoped and looked up at the swinging light that blinked mockingly at her.

Meiko growled almost feeling like punching the chick in the mouth, but Kaito placed a cool hand on her shoulder to calm her nerves. Luka could handle herself. She knew better than to make a scene and fall into "Sweet" Ann's plans. The twins sighed. They hated when she messed with that kid and never really understood why she did. The sea green gal in the back came to the front and opened her mouth to speak.

"Sweet Ann-dono, first period is going to start soon and we need to get going or our seats will be taken." She lied. No one ever took Sweet Ann's seat without facing her wrath.

"Ah, you're right Miku. See you in class, Luka-chan~" She waved a quick good bye before "accidently" removing her arm and causing Luka's books to fall on to the ground at her feet.

Miku, Len and Rin all collided their palms with their heads before helping the pink haired girl pick up her books. Luka wondered why they hung out with her. They were obvious not nearly as nasty as her. Then she remembered the companies their parents' owned and who their "big brother" was. The three couldn't escape their wicked leader without being disowned by their own flesh and blood. Letting out a sigh and feeling better that none of her books had gotten damaged, Luka turned the other cheek and headed straight for class, leaving the 5 there to frown at her backside.

"Man, I wish we could give her a piece of our minds!" Meiko mumbled loud enough for them to hear.

"Yeah, I know what you mean, but Swe- I mean, Ann's family owns part of the school and the dormitory you three stay at." Len pointed out while Rin stuck her tongue out in disgust.

"I just want Luka to stop taking her rotten milk down without flinching." Kaito added in and walked with his friends to homeroom.

* * *

Luka entered to the room A-2, causing the entire class to become death silent. She looked around. Everyone had their eyes on her though it didn't faze the lass as she made her way to her desk. A thumb tack laid on her seat was easily removed, and she bent to down to get rid of a timed stink bomb. Seeing that her desk had the oh so pleasant words of "Nerd" "Ice Queen" "Fugly" written on it, she opened the top to find a dead mouse and quickly chucked it out the window the for a stray cat to feed on. She had been through this almost every Monday. _Nothing new. _Luka would wash off the graffiti later at lunch and unpacked her things when Meiko sat right next beside her with Kaito on her other flank. They were a nice guard against flying spit balls and paper airplanes that tried to target and land in her pink bun. Meiko growled and ripped a straw out of an offending boy's mouth before threatening to stuff the projectile launcher into a hole that wasn't his mouth. Kaito had flung some of his precious ice cream into another delinquent's eye when he reeled back to throw a ghastly looking rubber band ball.

Luka loved her friends.

Miku and the twins sat up front next to Sweet Ann, posing as good friends of her. It came with its benefits that they couldn't deny as Rin and Len were no longer picked on for being short and Miku didn't get her beautiful pig-tails pulled or called an ugly swine for them. The cost was almost too much to bear though as they had sometimes take part in what Ann deemed as fun and keeping the school in its "natural" order. How warped could you get?

The teacher strolled in, holding his textbook and glared. The class stood up as a whole before saying the hackneyed phrase that had been plastered into their minds since pre-school.

"Good Morning, Mikatao-sensei, how are you today?" They questioned all in monotone unison.

The balding teacher huffed and slammed his book on his podium before writing on the board the lesson of the day.

"Everyone take your seats, I have an announcement to make. We have a new student today. He's from Hokkaido and hasn't been in Tokyo for quite some time. Give him a warm welcome that doesn't include childish horse play or pranks please." Mr. Mikatao addressed.

A buzzing murmur blanketed A-2.

"Hokkaido? He's probably a tan country bumpkin."

"Well, he said he's been in Tokyo before. Parents probably made him move."

"I hope he's not a dork. Got enough of them already."

The last comment was of course directed to Luka as she had her face buried in the textbook for next class. Math wasn't her best subject unfortunately. Miku and Rin would tutor her sometimes in exchange for her help in history, but that didn't mean she could waste time caring about what the ignoramuses around her badmouthed and gossiped in front and behind her back. Too tough skin to care. Reading over the last chapter they had been covering, Luka didn't hear the door slide open or the increase of whispering as a tall young man walked into the room, keeping his eyes to the floor.

"Holy crap… he's huge…"

"He should go for basketball"

"The baseball team calls dibs!"

Mr. Mikatao cleared his throat to get his unruly class's attention. They simmered down for a second, waiting for the newcomer to speak. The young man stood next to the teacher's podium, gaze still focused on the ground and covered by a matching navy blue baseball cap that had their school's logo sewn on the front. He towered over their teacher with his broad shoulders that slumped slightly to lower his impressive height. The navy blazer he wore looked a little too small on him

"Well? What are you waiting for? Introduce yourself to the class, young man." Mr. Mikatao blurted out to quell the growing anticipation he could feel festering.

The boy glanced at the old man before releasing a deep sigh.

" Kamui Gakupo." His voice was deep but at the same time girly which didn't go unnoticed students. He pushed up his thick silver glasses, shaking slightly.

He had only uttered two words, his name, yet they were already evaluating him.

"What? Gakupo? Who names their kid that?"

"Ew… What's with the hat? Is he bald under there?"

A few strands of purple hair peeked out from his hat, making the boy cringe as they criticized him more.

"Settle down. Settle down. Now, Kamui-san. Would you please take a seat in front of…"

Everyone seemed to move closer to each other, filling in empty seats present next to them, leaving blank spaces that formed a ring on the outside of the students. Luka, Kaito and Meiko hadn't budged.

"Kaito-san and stop eating that ice cream! We already have ants from bananas. "Their teacher sent a glare at both Kaito and Len who lowered their heads a bit as a bad attempt to hide themselves.

Before Gakupo could even take a step forward, 5 spit balls, 3 paper airplanes and 1 large paper ball came flying through the air, hitting the poor guy into the black board behind him. He slip down, gathering chalk on to his back and smudged the lesson plan Mikatao had written earlier.

"FREAK!"

"NERD!"

"Alright, who threw those things?!" The balding man bellowed.

No one answered.

Dizzy and slightly stunned, Gakupo clutched his aching head and wobbled over to his desk, using the icecream on the blue haired boy's desk as a marker. He sat down, using his book bag as a shield in case another barrage was coming in the near future. Luka glanced up to see the cause of the disturbance in the class. _Who is this guy?_ She wondered for a moment before delving back into her book. Meiko shook her head at her friend and tried to make the new guy feel welcome.

"I'm Ichiromii Meiko, that's Yamamoto Kaito and this…" She pointed to the pink haired bookworm "is Megurine Luka." Meiko introduced.

Gakupo looked at all of them with dim sapphire eyes, resting his gaze on Luka for a second. She didn't seem all that friendly, but a lot better natured than most of the other classmates. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad for him. A spit wad flew into his glasses lens.

Or maybe he stepped into the 7th level of hell…


	2. Mixed Lunch

Same Boat

Disclaimer: I do not own Vocaloid.

* * *

Chapter 2: Mixed Lunch

The lunch bell rang, interrupting their sensei's lesson.

"Alright class, we will be having a test over chapters 1-5 so study hard and come prepared." Their math called out and exited the classroom, leaving the teenagers to enjoy their meal.

The class pushed their desks together, presenting what their parents or themselves had packed to eat. A couple trade offs and bargaining filled the air as plain rice was swapped for some squid shaped hot dogs and greens. Not a lot of people bothered to visit the vending machines due to their over crowded tendencies and money-stealing unreliability.

Luka, Kaito and Meiko had moved their desks to form a triangle, leaving a bit of space for one more person to scoot in. Speaking of that person…

"Kamui-san! Come over and sit with us!" Meiko hollered and waved her arms frantically while Kaito pointed to the unpopulated spot across from Luka.

The purple haired young man sighed before moving and placing his bento down. Meiko smiled warmly while Kaito munched on his ice cream. Luka hadn't opened her bento yet as it was sort of a game to reveal their food at the same time.

"Alright, 1…2…3!" Meiko, Luka and Gakupo opened their box lunches.

Luka's was neatly packed with baked tuna, fried rice and sashimi on the side. A few triangulated onigiri were resting in the corner, some filled sourly and others sweetly.

Gakupo's bento looked like an eggplant wonder land. Everything had some form of the vegetable in it from the rice balls to the eggplant beef stew in a small container. Eggplant shaped cookies with tiny bits of the skin sat in a small clear bag.

Meiko's was a mess. Everything was mixed together in a giant vat of sausage, sake, rice and some green fuzzy stuff suspected to be broccoli.

Luka raised a pink eyebrow at Gakupo's lunch. _Obsession much?_ The boy was going to turn purple with that eggplant which would probably explain the color of his hair. Not wasting her breath commenting, she broke her chopsticks and announced aloud "Itadakimasu~" before starting with her baked tuna her favorite part of the meal.

The 4-man group ate quietly with each other and occasionally laughed at one of Meiko's jokes.

"Man, Mikatao-sensei is so bald, when the sun's rays shine on his head, he blinds God." The brunette voiced causing a string of laughter to follow suit.

Right when she was going for another gut puncher, a packet of melon bread was hurled at the back of Luka's head. Sitting across from her and seeing the object coming, Gakupo extended his arm out to the max, leaning forward to do so and caught the flying pastry centimeters in front Luka's head. Their faces were so close to each other. Aquamarine met sapphire for the first time and a light blush adorned the pink haired lass's face from their proximity. If you didn't know any better... you'd think they were kis-

"Luka! Your food!" Kaito called out, breaking from eating his wintry treat and pointed to his friend's now eggplant flavored bento.

She broke the odd trance and peered down to see various eggplant dishes ruining her tuna. Gakupo had knocked his lunch over when he stood up so quickly. Retracting from the awkward position, the purple haired student tried to remedy the situation.

"Wait, wait. I bet it's not as bad as it looks." He tried to reassure. The death glare he received was a good indicator he was not helping.

Gakupo rubbed the back of his head and handed her the melon bread which he had caught as a truce. Luka snatched it out of his palms, eating it annoyed. Feeling guilty and not wanting to waste food, the tall boy mixed the two lunches further and took a bite with his chopsticks. _Hey… this is pretty good! _He thought.

"Um… Lu- Megurine-san…" Gakupo asked sheepishly.

"What?" She asked coldly and nibbled on part of her pastry.

"It actually tastes great." He retorted and picked up a piece of the combined dish.

"If you think I am going to eat the purple, pink, and white concoction, you have another th-" Before she could finish her mini-tirade, Gakupo had shoved a morsel into her mouth.

Initially thinking of poison, Luka tried to spit it back up to no avail and swallowed the piece. It… wasn't bad at all. Taking her chopsticks, she ate more of the mixed dish, growing accustomed to its addictive and special taste. Gakupo let out a sigh of relief and dug into the meal as well. Kaito and Meiko looked at them like they were eating out of a dumpster and promptly made a few gagging noises. Taking a glance at Luka's desk, a question popped up in Gakupo's mind.

"Hey… Megurine-san… why do you have that writing?" He asked innocently as possible. Day 1 and he already feared her wrath.

Luka glanced over at what he was talking about. The words which some of her fellow classmates had tagged her desk with were still there. She needed to get some water and cleaner to rub it off… The pink haired young woman merely stood up and grabbed a few wet towels.

"Neh neh, Kamui-san, a lot of the class… doesn't favor Luka." Kaito tried to explain, finishing his ice cream and throwing away the cup.

"You can blame that on "Sweet" Amai Ann." Meiko added, spitting out the girl's name like it was poison.

"Who's Amai Ann?" Gakupo asked as Luka came back, wiping up and down her desk and removing the graffiti.

"Oh, just a cold-hearted witch with an attitude problem." Kaito and Meiko responded at the same time, earning a small smile from Luka which didn't go unnoticed.

Gakupo merely nodded his head and didn't ask any more questions as this girl seemed to be a touchy subject. Speaking of her, Ann had heard everything the group had voiced and wasn't too happy about it. Finishing her well done steak, the blond pink-highlighted young woman walked over to Gakupo, standing behind the boy.

"I wouldn't listen to them, Kamui-kun. You've already been pegged a freak and nerd. You don't want to add loser and social piranha to that repertoire now do you?" She asked sickly sweet.

Now he understood why they called her "Sweet" Ann. That sentence almost made him gag his lunch. Not wanting to cause a scene or send more projectiles that could hurt harder than bread, Gakupo shook his head like an idiot.

"It's social pariah." Luka mumbled.

"What did you say?" Sweet Ann questioned loudly, gaining the attention of everyone in class.

"Are they going at it?"

"Oh man Luka's gone and done it now."

"Cat fight! Cat fight!"

Many students began to crowd around the small group of desks uncomfortably, trying to get a piece of the action. Finished with the food, Luka got back up and lowered her eyes so no one could see her piercing aquamarines through a bright glare of light. She opened her mouth to speak but held her breathe for a moment to think.

"I was simply correcting you, Sweet Ann-san." Luka muttered unable to find her voice.

Gakupo raised an eyebrow. _What happened to the girl who almost made me see the devil?_ He wondered and turned to Meiko and Kaito for an answer, but they were too focused on the matter at hand. Giving up, he himself went back to the confrontation that was soon escalating.

Raising her hand, Ann immediately back handed Luka in the face, causing her black glasses to spin on to the floor.

"Have you forgotten who you are and I am, Megurine? Remember who owns everything you hold dear. Remember who keeps you alive. Remember what you owe." Sweet Ann seethed out and pulled her hand back for another slap.

Meiko rushed over and grabbed her arm while Len and Rin who had been standing back, grabbed the other. Miku and Kaito knelt down Luka to help her up and checked the damage. Her porcelain skin wasn't bruised but tinged a harsh crimson. The pink haired girl merely stared up at Ann with unfaltering eyes. She was not going to give her the satisfaction of knowing she had caused a tear to be shed. Gakupo stood up abruptly and began walking over to Ann with a deep frown on his face.

"How in the world could you hi-" He started to rant.

_CRUNCH!_

Gakupo looked down and paled slightly when he lifted his foot.

Black crushed glasses…

He gazed up to see a furious Luka break away from Kaito's and Miku's comforting arms. She stormed up and punched Gakupo in the mouth before racing out of the room with her hands covering her face. Everyone gazed at purple headed klutz whom had crashed into the desks behind him due to the magnitude of her fist. Little eggplants floated around his head with stars before he came to. Meiko was about yell up a storm at him when the boy dashed out of the room.

"Where the heck is he going?!" Meiko called out and grabbed Kaito's scarf, dragging him along to follow the oaf.

Sweet Ann flicked her hair back and called for her group to continue eating as the hype and atmosphere died down. The three sighed to themselves also wanting to go see if Luka was alright. Noticing the remnants of Luka's glasses, Ann kicked them into a corner and went back to her seat.

* * *

Sprinting through the hallways, Gakupo didn't care how badly his legs hurt. He had to find her and apologize. His face throbbed from her impressive punch but that didn't stop him. Looking around for a moment, he tried to get a barring on his surroundings. He was near the central stairs and had run around the last 2 floors. There was no way she left the school as the guards would have stopped her without a pass or escort. _Where is she?_ He pondered when something caught his eyes on the stairwell leading to the roof. _Hair pins? Luka was wearing these!_ Following the trail, he found himself coming face to face with the roof door. He looked through the small window, pressing against the glass, and searched for a sliver of pink hair.

He couldn't see anything.

Sighing in defeat, Gakupo was about to head back down when he heard something coming from outside… singing? Curious now, he opened the door and peered around the roof. The bright sun hung in the sky with blankets and puffs of clouds surrounding it. The music was becoming louder the farther out he went. Turning around, Gakupo moved to the back area of the roof, behind the small building which held the stairs inside and found a figure hunched over, hugging its knees to its chest. The lovely sound was coming from it.

_What's important to her she can't communicate it…_

_That's her na-_

"-me Toeto." Gakupo finished and stood in front of Luka spellbound.

She looked… so different. Her long pink tresses were free from her confining bun and framed her face nicely in slick shinning waves. Almost like a goddess… Heck she was as close to an angel a mere mortal could get. Lost for words, Gakupo hunched low to her level and tried putting a hand on her shoulder. Luka slapped it away angrily, not meeting his eyes.

"What do you want?! You've already caused enough trouble." She hissed out.

Gakupo flinched but didn't retract his hand and pulled her into a tight hug. Luka immediately tried to squirm out of it, but found she was pinned between the building wall and him. _Damn this over-sized lug…_ She beat on his chest a bit to get him to let go but to no avail.

"Calm down… I'm sorry for what happened. I didn't mean to cause a scene or step on your glasses." Gakupo whispered to her ear in a relaxing deep honest voice.

Luka shivered. _What happened to the girly man that found the floor more interesting than people's faces?_ Blushing heavily and not wanting to show her mug, she pushed him off and followed some ants on the ground with her bangs covering her eyes, avoiding his sapphire orbs. Frowning, Gakupo raised her chin to meet him. _I really hate his eyes…_ Luka tried to look away, but his grip was too strong.

"Let me make it up to you. How about I take notes for you if you can't see the blackboard?" He offered.

"No."

"Walk you to class every morning?"

"No."

"Make mixed bentos?"

"No."

Sighing, Gakupo released her and ran a hand over his capped head. Luka sat up, dusted off her skirt and walked silently to the stairwell. She turned back to boy with one final statement.

"There's nothing you can do so stop it." She seethed in monotone and left Gakupo on the roof feeling like a guilty fool.

Before making it back to class, the young woman pinned her hair back up in the bathroom, feeling slightly embarrassed that he had seen her with it down.

* * *

"Luka!" Meiko called out to her friend as she saw her exit the building.

Luka turned around and gave the brunette a small smile, stopping for her to catch up.

"Um… so, are you going to be alright? I mean we've got to teach Ann a lesson she will never forget for this. She's pushed the situation too far." Meiko blared, shaking her fist slightly.

Luka patted Meiko's shoulder and softly shook her head. There was nothing anyone could now or ever. Knowing this, the brunette punched a wall, causing a massive dent… and barley missing Kaito who now had his soul briefly leave his body for a second.

"Ah! I'm sorry, Kaito. I didn't see you there." She apologized and removed her fist, letting wall chippings fall.

"No… problem. Luka, want to go get something to eat. I heard Youmai's has a new dish." Kaito offered and held a poster up. "Teriyaki-diced Tuna only 800 yen!"

Luka shook her head, making the pair gasp. She wasn't interested in tuna?! There was something seriously wrong with her…

"I'm going to head home then cram school. Sorry guys." She bowed and left them with their mouths hanging wide open.

* * *

"SWEET ANN!" Rin slammed the girl's locker shut and stuck a finger in her face.

"Yes, Rin?" She asked nonchalantly.

"What you did today was too much! I can't believe the teacher didn't write you up or something just cause you threatened to fire him! Your dad has power, not you." Rin shouted but was soon held back by her younger brother.

"Need I remind you who works under my father?" Ann retorted. She pulled out a condensed list of employees. "Ah… let's see.. Kaemai, Kagani, Kagemine… Hmm..? Aren't those your last names?" She asked innocently and threw the list in their faces.

Rin almost pounced on the girl when Miku grabbed her shoulder and pulled her into an embrace. Len patted her back, calming his older sister down while Ann simply walked off.

"This is so unfair. Can't we do anything?" She whined into Miku's blazer.

Len and Miku bit their lips. They all knew the answer to that and accepted it painfully.


	3. Swordplay

Same Boat

Disclaimer: I do not own Vocaloid.

* * *

Chapter 3: Swordplay

From the incident in the classroom, Luka had been avoiding Kaito and Meiko after school. Their usual hangout had now become a dead zone without their laughter to brighten the place. It wasn't that the pink haired girl didn't want to see them… she just couldn't. _Damn that idiot for stepping on my glasses..._ she cursed mentally and walked down the street. Once again she had denied an opportunity with Kaito and Meiko. Once again she felt a piece of her break trying to avoid the heartrending looks on their faces.

Luka stopped at a cross walk and found a peculiar sight. A walking green shrub was carrying large boxes and could barely keep its balance. It bobbed up and down on the sidewalk, moving to a silent beat and bumped into countless people. She sighed and kept her eyes on the traffic signal that would let her cross soon. That was until the bobbing shrub skipped haplessly into the street.

She tried to ignore the endangered plant as cars weaved and turned to avoid it before shouting profane language. The shrub was 3/4th to the other side when a large truck came barreling down the road. Its driver conveniently wasn't paying attention to the wheel as his text messages were too important to ignore.

Acting swiftly, Luka set down her bag and grabbed the shrub by the arm, barely stopping the truck from turning it into a salad. The boxes fell one by one into a giant heap on the ground with the plant sprawled over Luka's body as they had fallen from her tug.

"Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow."

The pink haired lass opened an eye that she had closed at some point to see that the shrub had a mouth, eyes, ears and a nose. The green haired girl rubbed her head and stared down at Luka for a moment before pulling her into a bear hug that rivaled a boa constructor's.

"I'm not sure what happened, but thanks for getting me to the other side! No one else was guiding me. And I…" The younger girl began spouting out an elongated tale that could be mistaken for a life story.

Luka's growing anguish was steadily reaching new heights. This kid was missing something really important…

"Could you do me a little favor?" She asked innocently to the girl above her.

"I was purchasing the- Oh sure, whatever you need, my savior." The green haired kid replied and saluted Luka.

"Get. Your. Knee. Off. My. Lungs." She seethed out and pointed to the joint practically making a hole in her pulmonary cavity.

Moving faster than cat out of a bathtub filled with water, the kid got off and bowed many times in apology.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She repeated over and over to Luka.

The high school student lifted herself off of the ground and brushed the clumping dirt from her uniform. With her view now right-side up, the girl got a good look at the walking shrub that couldn't read traffic signals. Now she knew why the kid could be mistaken for plant life, she had dark green hair that spiked slightly in the back and two long side bangs which resembled vines from a distance. Her outfit though was odd. A bright orange kimono wasn't something middle school children often wore…

"How rude! I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Gumi." The shrub girl explained and held out her hand.

Luka shook it and gave out her own. Gumi's eyes seemed to widen for a moment before going to their usual size. A small smile tried to tug on her lips, but she seemed to be forcing it back down.

"Um… Megurine-sama…" Gumi began and started kicking the ground slightly to redirect her nervousness. "Could you please help me carry these boxes to my house? It's not that far!" She finished, blasting Luka's eardrums from the abrupt change in pitch and volume.

"What? I'm sorry but I really need t-" Before she could finish, the spinach headed kid latched on to her arm, taking it hostage.

"Oh c'mon, Megurine-sama! Please, please, please, please? You saw what happened to me on the street. I almost got squished!" Gumi retorted and tried flashing her round shinning green eyes at the high schooler.

_She does have a point… Would I get charged for not helping or something? Failure to assist? I'm not going to jail for this runt._ Luka thought and concluded, nodding to help her.

Gumi went in for another bear, but the pink haired girl quickly side-stepped out of the way.

"But only to your house. After that, I'm leaving." Luka put sternly and began picking up a few boxes.

The middle schooler jumped into the air for moment before taking the rest of the haul and directed her new companion to her house now that she could see past her nose. A large smile that had been itching to appear finally debuted on her face unfortunately out of Luka's sight.

* * *

"So you see, that's why I had spent so much time at the store." Gumi finished.

Luka thought her ears were going to fall off.

Gumi must have a bad misconception of the phrase "not that far" because it took them a good hour to reach her house. Another point. It wasn't a house. It was a gigantic traditional style mansion with red gates, statues, lanterns, guardian dogs and other Japanese decor.

She set the boxes down in front of the gate and let out a huff. _Well… there goes my afternoon._ Luka sighed and turned to head home, but once again was held down by Gumi. This kid was riding on her last nerve.

"Alright, Megurine-sama, I know it's late but could you please stay awhile and help me unpack these things. I'll get my grandpa to give you a ride to your house." The green haired girl pleaded.

Luka immediately pulled her arm away, making Gumi fall on her butt. She sent the youngster a heated glare.

"I saved your face from becoming road kill and helped you carry your junk. If you think I'm even going stay here one more second-

"We're having tuna for dinner." Gumi interrupted quickly and shielded her head as she saw Luka raise a fist into the air, shaking it violently.

All hate, maliciousness, and the desire to send this kid into the stratosphere dissipated at the mentioning of her favorite food. Her stomach growled in agreement as she hadn't eaten a morsel of substance since lunch at school.

"I'll stay for dinner then no more, understand?" Luka questioned and crossed her arms.

_Humph… that confirms it._

Gumi shot back up, nodding frantically, and grabbed the boxes to bring them inside with the pink haired girl somewhat reluctantly following her. _I'm going to regret this later…_

Once inside, Luka took a moment to admire the well built and beautiful place. A koi pond and rock garden for what she assumed was meditation sat in the backyard with a garden of lotus flowers adjacent. An old shed rested on side and had a tight lock on it. The inside was just as wondrous as the outside. Countless traditional paintings and furniture hung from the walls and decorated the inside. There was a basic living room that led into the kitchen, and from what she could tell, the bedrooms were in a separate building connected to the main house. They quickly began unpacking.

"Alright, just set these down right here and we're done. I'll go get dinner started. Feel free to walk around if you'd like!" Gumi waved and raced to the kitchen.

Luka was left to her own devices and began wandering around the compound. This place is too big. She felt trapped by even the thought of living in this house. Everywhere she turned, it led to a dead end or an empty room. The young lass decided to take a different route, and managed to find the way outside to a separate building. This one had the most intricate design and golden dragons guarded the front entrance.

She could hear shouting coming from the interior which peeked her interesting, so she poked her head inside. It was a dojo.

"Now, step forward with you left foot and keep your hips side ways so you can thrust with power!" An old but stern voice hollered across the room.

Luka homed in on an old man wearing a black fighting gi with hakama pants, holding a wooden sword in his right hand, swinging it up and down. His students were copying his movements quite sloppily and not really paying attention to his demonstration.

_Just what is this place…?_ She thought and was about to turn around.

"Ah. It seems we have a guest! Have you come to experience the teachings of Kendo?" The sensei directed at the escaping girl whom immediately froze from being notice.

Luka rotated to the geezer and quickly bowed, shaking her head. She kept her face low as her bangs covered her eyes. His students were now paying attention to her, and she really didn't want to be recognized in a place like this.

"Hey… she's pretty cute. I bet she came to watch me~"

"Naw, man. I saw her first!"

"How about we have an exhibition match?"

The boys began clamoring over one another about who was going to fight who. They didn't notice their sensei creeping closer to them with his sword raised.

_**WHAP!**_

_**WHAP! WHAP! WHAP! **_

_**WHAP!**_

Each testosterone filled male rubbed their heads sorely for their ill conduct in front of their guest.

"We're sorry sensei…" They apologized uniformly and bowed.

"Humph… If there is going to be any exhibition match, how about we play King of the Hill? First person to defeat everyone else consecutively once wins."

The boys pumped their fists into the air agreeing, causing Luka to shake her head dismissively. Boys are retarded… If it wasn't for Gumi's hospitality and the show that was about to start, she would have left the premises by now. The sensei threw down a mat from the storage closet in the back for Luka to sit on comfortably for the brawl.

"Oh did I mention the king would be my grandson beginning off?" The senior pitched in and was succeeded by groans and moans.

Luka raised an eyebrow.

The old man let out a piercing whistle that carried out all the way outside. A few seconds later, a tall man opened the doors, dressed completely in Kendo armor. The black mask and black outfit he wore seemed to really intimidate the boys as they began to draw straws fearfully at who would go first_. And they were soooo eager a few seconds ago._ Luka chuckled at this and followed the newcomer who took his place at the head of a forming line.

"Alright, rules as follows: First point wins. No tricks, no games. I want a clean fight. You may begin when ready." The sensei refereed from the sidelines as to not get caught in the action about to erupt.

One by one, the boys stood up to challenge the man in black. He raised his sword high into the air as each one approached him. Luka placed her chin into her palm, waiting for the man to fall and the next idiot to be crowned king. The first boy yelled a battle cry as he sprinted across the wooden floor, aiming to gain a point on the chest. His opponent merely side-stepped out of the way and struck him on the back, knocking the wind from his lungs. The pink haired girl raised her head slightly. The action was so quick her eyes almost missed it.

The boy hacked up some saliva and trudged to the end of the line. The next sucker was a lot more careful than the first and tried finding a weak point to attack from. He lunged and pulled back several times to fake the man in black out then slashed when he thought he had the advantage. Instead of dodging like last time, the more experienced swordsman parried then made a swift horizontal strike to his ribs. Luka winced as she could hear a distinctive crack resonate into the air. Everyone hissed at the same time from that blow.

The pattern continued like so until the 15th and last boy just fell down on to his knees begging for mercy. The man in black whopped him over the head as if their sensei would and left the dojo without a single word.

"And that my young pupils is what you will become. I hope you have learned something other than how to get your asses handed to you." Their sensei finished and dismissed the class for the day.

Each boy trekked home with fresh bruises and cuts that they would have to explain to their parents. Luka still sat on the mat, spellbound by the ability of the only king throughout the entire game. The old man walked over to her and laughed loudly.

"Now that you have seen the end result of countless years of training, have you grown interested in- HEY? Where are you going?" The geezer cut off his proposition when Luka shot up and raced out of the room. He scratched the bald spot on his head before smiling to himself.

The young lady dashed from the dojo's entrance and scanned the premise. _Where is he? _She pondered and checked the backside of the training facility. When she heard the flow of water from a facet, her pace increased. Luka rounded a corner then jumped back as her eyes fell on the masked warrior. He had pulled down his gi top so it lay limp around his waist, giving her a good view of his torso. It was chiseled. Her mind went blank for second. Why in the world had she been so eager to meet him? His fighting skills were impressive nonetheless, but his demeanor…

As she brought her thoughts together which spawned more questions, her mystery swordsman looked up and noticed her, immediately dropping the hose which was dosing his overheated body with cool refreshment. He took a step back as if to sprint off.

"Wait. Wait!" She called out without thinking and mentally cursed at herself.

The black warrior didn't move from his spot almost reluctantly and held his ground. Now what? Luka took a large gulp and tried to find her voice.

"That was very… impressive back there." She forced out awkwardly.

The man simply nodded and tried to resume cleansing himself. He picked up the hose and turned the nozzle for more pressure. Surprisingly, even with his long arms, he couldn't get all parts of his back.

"Um… let me help you." She stammered out and took grasp of the rubber hose.

He pointed to spots and she aimed the water, making sure not to burn his skin. It was surprisingly pale in her opinion. He had large shoulder blades and tall physique as he towered over her slightly by a good head. Luka reached forward to pull the kendo guard mask off his face but was stopped by a quick large hand as soon as she touched the metal. The warrior twisted her forward and away from the only garment that sealed his identity. He shook his head silently and turned the water off.

Luka's face flushed from their close proximity of a few mere inches separated them. This was her first time being so close to someone… lacking much attire.

"ONII-CHAN!" A high-pitch voice squealed from behind.

The pink haired girl glanced over to see her favorite walking shrub jump into the air and clamp on to the warrior's back. He immediately began to flail widely, trying to knock her off.

_Onii… chan? These two are related?_

Their personas were completely different from one another. How could they possibly coexist? Luka watched as he tried to shake Gumi off to no avail then optioned to whack her with the hose. She nimbly dodged, still attached to him, and got a firm grasp on his helmet.

"It's so hot out! Why are you still wearing this? Lemme take it off for you, onii-chan~!" The middle schooler announced and ripped the protective covering off.

Purple hair tussled out in long locks, followed by two piercing sapphire eyes.

Luka turned to stone.

"I can explain!" Gakupo tried to refute but was met with no response.

She passed out on to the ground.

"Woah… you are a lady killer, onii-chan…" Gumi praised and poked Luka on the cheek.

_Crap…_


	4. Red String

A/N: It's nice to receive feedback on this story. :3 There aren't a lot of Gakupo/Luka tales so I'm happy to supply them if need be. There were some reviews about turning this into a Doujinshi. Send a pm in detail about this if you are seriously considering to convert this story from words to images~ (continues to listen to Just Be Friends/write next chapter)

Same Boat

Disclaimer: I do not own Vocaloid

* * *

Chapter 4: Red String

"Should I get the smelling salts?"

"Ojii-san… we want her to wake up, not go into a coma!"

"Hey! Hey! I think she just moved!"

Luka's face contorted in response to the bright light invading her eyes. Two turquoise orbs gazed up at the three faces surrounding her before turning to the side, soaking in the surroundings. _What the hell jus-_

"Good evening, sleepy head!" Gumi shouted, causing Luka's eardrums rupture.

Her grandfather pulled the hyperactive girl into the next room to save the pink lass's audio receptors. Gakupo placed a large pale hand on Luka's forehead to make sure she didn't have a fever only for it to be swatted away. It seemed that her spunk was coming back…

"I'm leaving this nuthouse, see ya sword boy." She announced bluntly without even a thank you and removed the blanket that had been placed over her.

…in her full force.

Luka tried to stand, but her legs buckled and wobbled under her still weak. Her world went topsy-turvy as she fell backwards. Reaching out almost waiting for this moment, the purple-haired kendo student caught the stubborn girl in his long arms. She turned her head in embarrassment and promptly struggled and squirmed out of his grip. _This feels familiar…_

"You shouldn't be moving around so suddenly. You did pass out after all." Gakupo flashed her a concerned and inviting smile.

She felt like smacking it clean off his mug as some heat rose to her cheeks. Luka shimmied to other side of the small room. It didn't appear to be used as there was no furniture or any signs of life other than their current presence. Must have been a divine blessing that she hadn't woken up in his room in his futon. The thought made her shiver. The place must be littered with purple and eggplants hanging on the walls.

"I don't need your help and I don't want it. Where's the exit so I can leave?" Luka demanded and gazed out into the hallway, trying to guess what part of the house she was in.

She tried to stand once more, using the wall for leverage and managed to get on her feet. Gakupo walked over to her carefully like she was a frightened animal.

"I'm sorry, dear, but rest is what you need and you surely will want." He retorted and bent down for a second.

Once more, her view went lop-side as Gakupo easily picked the pink haired girl up and carried her over the right shoulder. Kicking and growling like a child in a tantrum, the cool demeanor and ice queen façade she masked herself with fell down as she beat the boy's back repeatedly and tried nailing him in the family jewels.

"PUT ME DOWN, YOU EGGPLANT LOVING FREAK!" She screamed and tried biting his shoulder while hitting his chest, knocking the wind out of him. _Finally this stupid… oh crap._

He did put her down… just not the way either of them would have liked. Luka fell back on to the futon, opening her eyes for a moment to see Gakupo come tumbling down towards her. She placed her arms crossed defensively over her face. The purple haired boy managed to catch himself and avoiding turning the girl under him into a pancake. He breathed a sigh in relief, looking down at her.

"Have you two made up ye-" His grandfather entered the room and stopped mid-sentence.

"W-Wait! It's not what you think!" Luka pushed Gakupo off and promptly sat on her legs.

"Ojii-san, nothing is going on!" Gakupo blurted out as he regained his footing.

The old geezer pulled out a handkerchief and wiped away some of the tears that were forming in his eyes.

"I may live to see my great-grandchildren…" He blew into the piece of fabric and skipped away in joy of what he believed to be a promising future.

Gakupo and Luka hung their heads low, colliding their palms to their faces in synchronization. The boy took the moment to push Luka on to the futon once more, shaking his head with determination as she tried to get up. She glared at him and stayed down for the moment, watching his figure rise and stand next to the door.

"If I remember, Gumi promised you some tuna…" Luka immediately perked up, feeling stupid to have forgotten that part of the deal. "I'll go get it for you if do not leave this room until I return." He offered and put his hand out forward.

Luka stared at it for a second before reluctantly shaking it. Gakupo skipped down the hallway in a similar fashion to his grandfather… must run in the family.

_Now that he's gone…_ She quickly looked around for a clock and found the time to be 11:27 PM. For the first time since awakening, Luka took a moment to examine her clothing. It was an orange pajama set too tight in the chest area with matching carrot slippers. _Probably Gumi's that she hasn't grown into yet…_ the pink haired lass deducted and shook her head at the idea of loosening up some of the front buttons. Well, this now meant she couldn't leave without her school clothes as buying a new pair was out of the question, and the family had conveniently not left them in the room.

Luka sighed at her predicament. _At least there will be food._

Right on cue, Gakupo returned with a tray of piping hot dinner and set it down in front of the girl. She wanted to drool a river and drown the world right then and there. The tray was a platter of tuna dishes from onigiri, fried, baked, roasted and broiled. It came some slices seasoned while others basted in a heavenly smelling sauce.

Gakupo had never seen such an expression on a person's face. It was glazed over as if in a trance, making him slightly frightened. Cautiously, he handed her a pair of chopsticks and scurried backwards to watch her manic frenzied feast begin. She didn't eve-

"Thank you for the meal!" Luka turned to Gakupo and smiled brightly with some grains of white rice sticking to the right side of her mouth.

Steadily, he reached over and wiped some of the specks off, smiling warmly once more. She couldn't help return his gesture now full and content. With the amount of food she had just wolfed down and the already tightness of the pajamas…

POP!

They both looked down to witness the front 3 buttons of Luka's clothes bust open, revealing the valley and good majority of her breasts.

Time froze for a moment and a sliver of blood dripped from the purple haired boy's nose.

"W-wait! I didn't see anything I SWEAR!" He lied and tried to wipe away the red substance.

Luka immediately grabbed the plates and bowls that once held her meal and chucked them at the fool's head. Gakupo ducked and weaved, trying to dodge the incoming dishware and escape with his life.

"You perverted little jerk! Just let me go home already!" She hollered and covered her exposed chest, throwing more objects at the poor guy.

Gakupo shielded his head and barrel rolled into the hallway to escape her wrath. She promptly threw one last item into this direction, smacking him square in the head. A small lump formed from the collision, making him hiss and cry out. _Server him right…_ She seethed and tried fixing her top.

Stupidly, he did return and not empty handed. He carried her school uniform in his arms, washed and pressed by Gumi, and handed it to Luka. She huffed while taking her garments and slammed the shoji screen in his face to change. _I think she really hates me now…_ Gakupo sighed then patted the sides of his face with his palm roughly. _No! I just have to keep trying! _He thought with hope but didn't dare barge in on her.

The shoji screen opened quickly, making Gakupo jump and turn to Luka. She sent him a dismissive glare and stomped out to the front or what she believed to be the direction of the front of the house.

"It's almost midnight… are buses even still running this late?" She muttered to herself, wondering what she was going to do.

Gakupo stood behind the pinkette and coughed to get her attention. She turned to see the boy holding a link of shinny keys for a vehicle. A sleek eyebrow raised on her face.

"You can drive?" She asked curiously

He merely chuckled.

* * *

"YOU'RE GOING TO GET US KILLED!" Luka shouted, holding tightly to Gakupo's back despite how much she wanted to kick him into the streets.

"Don't worry, we'll be at your house in one piece!" He reassured and revved the engine of the motorcycle, increasing Luka's fears.

_They looked like car keys… WHY weren't they care keys?_ She asked to kami and hung on to her life as they turned another corner. The black sleek motorcycle appeared like a speck in the distance to those without sharp eyes then became another when it zoomed right pass the late night traffic. She was surprised not a single cop had pulled them over yet. Luka buried her face into Gakupo's back and wrapped her arms more securely around his waist not wanting to become splatter on the pavement.

"Is it this next left?" Gakupo asked coming up to another turn.

"Yes, park right outsi- DO NOT TRY TO WHEELIE!" She scolded as she felt herself going backwards.

Gakupo laughed, returning the vehicle to its original position. They soon arrived at the front of her dormitory with Luka shaking like a leaf. _Motocycles… are evil…_ she finalized and struggled to keep herself steady while getting off the deathtrap. The kendo student chivalrously lifted Luka by the waist and set her down on the sidewalk then placed her school bag in her hands.

"T-Thank you…" She managed out still dazed.

"No problem. The nearest cram school is pretty far from here… If you like, I could take you there after school and bring you back." He offered.

Luka glared at his mode of transportation.

"Don't worry, I'll obey the speed limit…" She glared harder "…and traffic laws." He tried to comfort her into his proposal.

_It would save me on bus fare and time… _She mulled over his offer, weighing out the pros and cons before finally making a decision.

"Alright, I have cram school every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday right after school until 6:00." She informed then closed the gap between their bodies and pressed a slender pale finger to his chest.

"Don't. Be. Late." She threatened and swiftly turned on her heel, walking toward the elevators.

"I won't, Megurine-san!" Gakupo hollered in response and waved to her even though she didn't stop to reciprocate the action.

Upon reaching her room, Luka looked out her window to see the fool rev up his motorcycle and speed away… to only get caught by a cop that was hiding.

_Idiot…_ Luka berated, smiling lightly and turned off the lights.


End file.
